Resarch has shown that having a doula present at a birth:

 

  • Shortens first-time labour by an average of 2 hours
  • Decreases the chance of a caesarean by 50%
  • Decreases the need for pain medication
  • Helps fathers participate with confidence
  • Increases success in breast-feeding 

 

(Findings taken from "Mothering the Mother" by Klaus, Kennell & Klaus, 1993)

 

Further research in 2008 (published 2009) showed that of 735 doula supported births in the UK:

 

  • Half of the births attended were for primiparous women (350/48%). 
  • For 78 (11%) of the women, the doula was her sole birth partner.
  • (45%) were completely drug and intervention free (no induction, medicated pain relief, augmentation and instrumental deliveries).
  • Other notable results were the low number of caesarean sections - this was 112 (15%) which compared to 24.3% in the NHS.
  • Inductions were halved with 76 (10%) of women with a doula being induced versus 20% from the NHS statistics.
  • Postnatal doulas told us that 88% of women were breastfeeding at six weeks.  And (67%) were still breastfeeding at six months (national average is 26% - not exclusive BF)

 

(Side by side - a survey of doula care in the UK in 2008 Goedkoop V. MIDIRS Midwifery Digest, 2009)

  

And most recently in 2011 a  review looking at over 15,000 women showed that:

Overall, women who received continuous support were less likely than women who did not to:

  • have regional analgesia
  • have any analgesia
  • give birth with vacuum or forceps
  • have a baby with a low Agpa score
  • repost dissatisfaction or a negative rating of their experience 
Women receiving continuous support were more likely than those who did not to:
  • give birth spontaneously (without vacuum or forceps or section)
  • have a shorter labour 

summary: Continuous labour support helps reduce risks in childbirth. And it should be something that every women is offered, regardless of how much money she has in the bank, or what she wants out of birth.

(Findings taken from Continuous Support for Women During Childbirth, Hodnett et al 2011)